February 29
by Ryuacchi
Summary: Countdown Bday fic. A birthday greeting could be expressed in different ways.
1. Once in Every Four Years

**Chapter 01: Once in Every Four Years**

_February 19_

Fuji was absent for tennis practice, something everyone asked why. Everyone except for his acrobatic classmate, Eiji. He was currently bothering his doubles partner to have a meeting with the regulars after club hours. In the end, Oishi had to give in.

"What is it about this time, Kikumaru-sempai?" The lone freshman of the regulars, Echizen Ryoma, demanded irritably. A long time ago, he already concluded that every random idea Eiji thought of was useless for his time. However, he never asked to have a club meeting about it before, which made him stay for the meeting. That, and the threat of Tezuka's laps.

"Ochibi, that's so mean!" Eiji pouted. "Don't you know what day it is 10 days later?!"

"February 29. What about it?"

A soft clatter was suddenly heard, and all of the present regulars turned to Inui, who was picking up his notebook. He aligned his glasses before talking. "I remember now, that is Fuji's birthday. I can't believe I forgot to write it down..." He said, mostly to himself, before scribbling, leaving the rest undecided to sweatdrop at their dataman for exaggerating the lack of data, or be ashamed that they forgot it too. They then realized he only probably said it to Eiji, who was possibly Inui's primary source for that piece of information.

"Is that why sempai didn't celebrate last year?" Momoshiro Takeshi asked.

"Fshuuu... Obviously, stupid Momoshiro." His rival, Kaidou Kaoru, hissed. A loud sigh was heard throughout the room – they all knew what was going to happen next.

"WHAT WAS THAT, MAMUSHI?!"

"NOTHING! JUST YOU, BEING STUPID... AGAIN!"

"I AM NOT STUPID, UNLIKE YOU!"

That was the start of Momoshiro and Kaidou's fight number 96784513. It lasted for approximately 1 minute and 11 seconds, thanks to Kawamura Takashi. And once again, peace reigned in Seigaku.

"So... where were we?" Oishi asked to the silent group.

"With the plan! In 9 days, starting tomorrow, we each plan something for Fuji nya! And finally, in the 9th day, we could celebrate in Taka-san's sushi restaurant! If Taka-san agrees... right, Taka-san?" Eiji announced, with a rather hopeful tone at the end, where he was giving the burning power player puppy eyes.

Taka-san smiled. "I guess we could. My dad would probably agree, since it's Fuji..."

"Then there aren't any problems! What would you say?!" Eiji had the impression of a hyper general, raising up the spirits of his comrades.

"It's just a birthday..." Echizen mumbled.

"YOU_ARE_MEAN!!" Eiji wailed loudly. "It happens only once in every four years!"

"I never thought you were so cold, Echizen!" Momoshiro agreed, though he sounded more happier than Eiji, which was obviously a rare sight. "Think of the _extra special_ celebration!"

"Fshuuu... You'll just be there to eat all the food."

Before fight number 96784814 could even start, Oishi managed to give the two 2nd years more distance. "Well, let's just decide with an election. Who is _not_ in favor of the plan?"

Only Echizen raised up his hand. Horaay!

"And those in favor?"

Eiji's and Momoshiro's shot up through the air, followed by a timid hand from Taka-san.

"So... everyone else is going to abstain?"

After a while of silence (since the other regulars were weighing their options.) Kaidou broke it, and it's fortunately not because of Momo.

"Inui-sempai?"

"Yes?"

"Will there be Inui Juice?"

The horror struck through all of them. They all forgot Fuji loves those disgusting... sewage waste! (No Inui Juices were physically harmed at this statement) If _that_ is served, doom shall befall on the world!!!... Of tennis players.

Sensing that the fate of the world (of tennis players) relies on his decision, Inui had no other choice. "Alright. I won't serve Inui Juice to everyone else besides Fuji on the final day."

Another sigh of relief (among with several cheers) rang as Kaidou and Inui raised their hands. After a moment, Oishi and – surprisingly – Tezuka raised theirs, too. "So that's it." Oishi concluded, smiling. "We'll go with Eiji's plan." Momoshiro and Eiji cried and jumped at delight at the very second Oishi said the final decision.

"Che." Echizen muttered in disgust.

"But how will we choose who gets to give greetings to Fuji on each day?" Kaidou asked.

"We can draw with lots." All looked to Tezuka, who spoke for the first time since the start of their meeting. Oishi showed his approval by nodding, and had Inui make small pieces of paper with numbers on it. "So each of us has to take up a number and the one who gets number 1 shall do it tomorrow, 2 for February 21, and onwards."

All of the regulars (even Echizen) obediently got a piece of paper. When Inui picked the last remaining one, their coach entered, a grin on her wrinkled face. "Planning something for our genius and yet not consulting me? How very rude of you."

Momoshiro was the first to react. "Baa-san!"

"We're sorry, Ryuuzaki-sensei nya! We totally forgot about you!"

A chuckle was heard from Ryuuzaki-sensei. "It's okay, but let me help on the celebration at his birthday, okay?"

A chrous of "Yes!" in different tones became the reply. "Alright then, let's see who's going to be the order."

Oishi then took the spotlight once again. "Let's start from the last day. Who got number 8?"

"Me." Came Tezuka's stoic reply.

"So Tezuka's for February 28. Who got 7?"

"Hoi hoi!"

"So Eiji got it. I got number 6, so who's number 5?"

"It's me." Taka-san said.

"And number 4?"

"Fshuuu..."

"I got number 3." Said Inui, before Eiji sent him a glare for being so anti climatic.

"So it's just Momoshiro and Echizen. Who got number 2?"

"Me, sempai." Momoshiro said, leaving Echizen the first one to plan something for Fuji. The freshman grumbled about being 1st.

"That's karma, Ochibi!" Eiji said gaily, before being silenced by Oishi.

"So Echizen's going to be one to surprise him tomorrow. Best of luck, Echizen!" Oishi ended, before Tezuka barked "Meeting dismissed!" Which was their cue to leave home, each with their own plans for their resident genius.

* * *

"You're early, Syuusuke." Welcomed Fuji Yumiko hours before. Fuji Syuusuke just chuckled.

"I have to, since Eiji persuaded me. I don't want to spoil their plans."

Yumiko seemed to read her younger brother's mind. "So it's that time of the year again, huh? 4 years ago, Saeki-kun caused commotion in the entirety of Chiba, right?" The two laughed at the memory of Fuji's friend actually planning to have the whole town give him something spicy as a gift.

"Mom wanted it gone immediately, so all of us had to bear with it in 5 months. Yuuta still fears that it would happen again." Syuusuke said, as he bid his sister to have some time alone to change. "Saa... Let's see what happens this time.

* * *

**Disclaimer:**_Tennis no Oujisama_ is created by _Takeshi Konomi._

**You got it. In 10 days, this fic shall be updated daily (if I could). Anything for Fuji, ne? Oh, and the last chapter's a bit shounen-ai, so beware. 3 guesses why. XD**

**Next! Echizen fails to have his plan to surprise Fuji, and in the end gets surprised instead.**


	2. My 2nd Younger Brother

**Chapter 2: My 2****nd**** Younger Brother**

February 20

_Stupid Kikumaru-sempai._

He stormed inside the classroom.

_Stupid plan._

He sat and glared at everyone. INCLUDING his teacher.

_Stupid birthday._

That's right. Echizen Ryoma has a grudge against February 29.

It all started with Kikumaru Eiji's plan to surprise Fuji, and it turns out that he had to be the first one to do something good to the sadistic genius. He wouldn't have done one if Tezuka and Inui constantly threatened him with laps and Akazu respectively. He already had one, but it had to be special, so he spent all night trying to think of a better one, which is why he slept throughout English time to gather energy for tennis practice.

Time went fast in the freshman's point of view. Soon, it was tennis practice, and he still didn't have what he wanted. Soon, club hours came, and he was still empty of ideas.

So he even had to think of one while training. As a result, he missed several balls, did a double fault, and failed to react to Momoshiro's Dunk Smash. After that horrible practice match, Inui called Echizen to the lockers.

"There's a 78 chance that you are still thinking of a plan."

"Bingo."

The dataman sighed. "Look, if you don't concentrate - "

"How could I be if I need to do this today?!" Echizen already had a bad day, and his temper is starting to shorten up. Who would have thought that Seigaku's punishments could create such tension?

"...Here's an idea. What is Fuji to you?"

"What's Fuji-sempai...to me...?" Echizen mumbled. At first, he cared about nothing but tennis and beating his dad. And then he had a match against Tezuka and Fuji. Tezuka showed him that even he still had a lot more to work on, and Fuji gave him the thrill of having such a challenging opponent.

Noticing that Echizen was silent, Inui knew he needed some more time alone. "Very well." He said. "Come back if you've finished thinking. I'll inform Tezuka not to punish you." Echizen ignored the sound of footsteps walking away.

_Fuji-sempai wanted to crush Kirihara-kun partly because of me, and they said Fuji rarely does that... So what am _I_to_him? He remembered that he stood up at least once to support his sempai, but that just came out of nowhere. He forgot what he felt. A desire to support, that he knew, but as a what? Something tells him it wasn't just because he was his teammate...

Echizen messed up his hair. Nothing. He had no idea what was Fuji to him.

His train of thought was interrupted by a pat on his head. Seconds later, he was face to face with Fuji, frowning in concern.

"What's wrong, Echizen?"

"Nothing." He mumbled.

The genius let out a chuckle. "Somehow I highly doubt that."

"It's j-just..." The pressure was getting up to him, something unlikely to the freshman.

Fuji opened his eyes. "Is it about my birthday?"

Echizen suddenly raised up his head, meeting those cerulean orbs. "How did you - "

"I was sure that Eiji will plan out something like this, If you're stuck on it, there's no need. Your support is enough."

He suddenly hugged Echizen, much to the latter's surprise.

"You're like my 2nd younger brother."

He was rendered speechless.

Fuji then resumed petting him, the freshman still in his arms. "Sorry for that. Maybe I just miss Yuuta a lot. However, you'll still like my younger brother even if Yuuta is in Seigaku. The Seigaku team's youngest sibling. The one who plays his matches well, as well as motivation his older brothers. I think we'll not be the same if you never attended this school.

"But - "

"Just give me a good match soon. That, and the gift you put in my locker would be more than enough." He finally released him and stood up, chuckling. "But even though I treat you as a younger brother, you should never expect a handicap from me."

The familiar smirk returned to Echizen. "Don't need it. I'll beat you, fair and square."

"It's still too early for you to defeat me."

"We'll see about that."

Fuji's grin widened. "Good, you're spirited enough against Momoshiro? He wanted a rematch."

"He'll get what he wants." Echizen reached for his racket and started to walk outside.

"Thanks for the camera film, Echizen-otouto." Fuji called back as the freshman closed the door.

Echizen's smirk was wider, as he finally went to Momoshiro. _Maybe Kikumaru-sempai's plan isn't so bad after all._

* * *

**Disclaimer:**_Tennis no Oujisama _is created by _Takeshi Konomi_

**...That was the sappiest chapter I have ever written.**


	3. Meal Between Friends

**Chapter 3: A Meal Between Friends**

February 21

Momo was in deep trouble. When the voting about Eiji's idea commenced, he never thought that he wasn't that close to Fuji and therefore had no idea what to give to him. At that night, he was starting to give up when an idea struck him. He hastily got a phone and called a friend.

After a while, a female answered. "Hello?"

"Tachibana's sister!"

"It's Ann!!" The receiver shouted, though she wasn't really that angry.

"Yeah, alright... I called you because I need your help."

"Help? On what?"

"Okay. We had a plan for Fuji-sempai's upcoming birthday, and each of us has to do something for him. Tomorrow's my turn, and I still had no idea what to do!"

"Something special for Fuji-san, huh?" A minute then passed with Momo only hearing mumblings from Ann. "Aha! Say, I'll go to Seigaku tomorrow and I'll plan all of it for you! What do you say?"

Momo was suspicious whatever Ann's idea was, since she seemed to stifle a sinister snicker. However, she was his only hope. "Um... Okay. When would you visit?"

"Right after tennis practice. See you there!"

* * *

February 22

Momo still remained in the dark about Ann's plan when Tezuka just dismissed the club. _Is Ann really coming? _It was answered immediately by a familiar voice:

"Fuji-san!"

All of the remaining club members turned to Ann, waving.

"Fudoumine's Tachibana Ann-san. How's your day?" Fuji greeted, who came to her.

"Oh, it's very fine. By the way..." Ann suddenly held Fuji's hands. "It's a date!"

There was a shocked silence throughout the entirety of the tennis courts.

"WHAAAT?!?!"

Fuji blinked before chuckling. "Another tennis date with you?"

"It's not me this time. It's a _real _date for you... with Momo!"

There was a shocked silence throughout the entirety of the tennis courts.

"It's a WHAAAAT?!?!?!"

Momo pointed at himself, his face as red as Eiji's hair. "MEEE?!"

Fuji was frozen.

"Yes, you!" Ann exclaimed gaily to Momo, like she didn't say anything disturbing. She then handed the dunk smasher a card. "Here's the address. Good luck!" Ann then left the premises, skipping.

_I shouldn't have asked Ann for this. _Thought Momo as he shakily held Fuji's hand, snapping him out of his trance.

"...Momo?" Fuji suddenly asked, eyes wide open.

"Ah...um...well... F-Fuji-sempai, c-can we go now?" Momo stuttered.

"Uh... Yes?"

And so the blushing Momo ran out, dragging Fuji with him. He ran as fast as he could from Seigaku, fearing the humiliation Ann caused.

Meanwhile, the tennis courts were still in the phase of shocked silence. It was broken minutes later by Kikumaru Eiji.

"UNYAAA!!! Momo and Fujiko, _TOGETHER?!_"

"I never expected that..." Echizen mumbled, dazed.

Inui then adjusted his glasses, a mad glint behind it, coupled with an evil smile. "Let's follow them."

"Not again, Inui!!" Eiji exclaimed.

"Don't you want to know what may happen?"

"Of course I do, but this is private!"

"I would like to go." Echizen said, surprising them all. He had a smirk identical to Inui's.

"I can't believe you, Ochibi!"

"No. We _must _go, Eiji." Oishi declared in a worried tone. "What if they are kidnapped along the way? What if gangsters come? What if the are accused of homosexuality by the Catholic Church?"

"Even_you, _Oishi?!"

"What's your decision, Eiji?" Inui said, now looking more like a mad scientist than ever. That scared the acrobatic player.

"F-Fine! I'll go!"

"That's good. Well, Kawamura's helping his dad and Kaidou's training, so... Would you like to come, Tezuka?" Inui turned to where the buchou was, but he was gone. He shrugged.

"Now, it's time for some good data."

* * *

The restaurant Ann chose was a luxurious one. It turned out to be in Roppongi, and the restaurant was a Paris themed one: Atelier de Joel Robuchon. The Valentine season is still around, and couples stare at Fuji and Momo. What made it worse was that they were still wearing their school uniforms. There were waiting for a waiter to take their order, though it might seemed impossible – any of the dishes were a long shot away from their budget.

"Ann planned this, didn't she?" Fuji asked, smiling again.

"Yeah..." Momo replied, who was trying to smile as well, messing up his hair.

"I knew it. If it was you, you'll have me on a date on a hamburger shop and then trick me to pay everything in the end."

Momo tried to laugh, but remembered that he was in a formal place in time.

"There's no need to stop it. Just be yourself, ne?" Fuji replied.

"Um... yeah?" Momo replied hesitantly.

The genius sighed. "Looks like this place is too formal after all. Saa, let's just go to another restaurant in Roppongi, one where we could chat freely without... these people staring at us. I'll give you a treat too."

"Thank you, Fuji-sempai, but let me treat you, at least this time."

"Hmmm... Why?"

"Um..." Momo gulped. The plan was supposed to be a surprise! (Fuji already knew it from Echizen, but Momo doesn't know that.)

"Well, if you insist..." Fuji said, standing up. "Oh, and..." He whispered something to Momo, who changed his face from surprise to one that listens intently, then forming back into a grin.

"Alright then. Let's go, Fuji-sempai!"

And they walked outside, some of their fellow regulars at their tail.

* * *

"I knew you could have lost them Fuji-sempai!" Momo exclaimed, now laughing.

They were now at the Hard Rock Cafe in Tokyo, where there was music playing and where people had no care about other's conversations. It had been a few minutes of walk, including merging into a nearby crowd before entering the restaurant to make their stalkers lose their way.

"It's a date after all. I don't like them sneaking around with us."

Momo blushed again at the word 'date'. "Um... Fuji-sempai, could we _not_use that word?"

Fuji chuckled. "Of course. What should we call it?"

"Hmmm... a meal between friends."

"Sounds good enough."

And the two regulars chatted happily for the rest of the night.

* * *

Inui closed his notebook.

_The others may have separated with me when we were tailing Momo and Fuji, but it would take more to make _me_lose my way._

The familiar mad glint appeared in his eye. _The data has been collected. Fuji Syuusuke, the probability of you liking my gift is 97 percent. _

* * *

**Disclaimer:**_Tantei Gakuen Q_ is created by _Takeshi Konomi_. Roppongi, Hard Rock Cafe and Atelier de Joel Robuchon are actual places. 


	4. Defied Data

**Chapter 4: Defied Data**

February 22

"You're so mean, Inui!" Eiji complained as he returned a ball back to the datamaster.

"You were lost at the crowd. If I stopped to look for you, precious data would have been lost." Inui said, as he launched a drop shot.

"But we were lost, nya! We never went to Roppongi once!" A chance ball faced Inui.

"Probability of a poor lob: 87." He then smashed it and the point went to his.

"You didn't answered my question!" Eiji pouted.

"Let's just say that thanks to this, Fuji shall have a memorable day."

Realization dawned on the acrobat. "I see! You used that data for you plan to Fuji! What would you do?" Eiji asked, now at the baseline.

"The only thing I will tell you is that I will visit Fuji later this afternoon." Inui replied as he served the Waterfall, earning him an ace.

"Meanie Inui!"

* * *

"Fuji, may I ask you a favor?" Inui asked the genius while they were changing at the lockers.

Fuji raised an eyebrow. It was a long time since the dataman talked to him privately. "Yes?"

"I know it is too sudden, but can I visit your place later? You wouldn't regret it."

"Hmmm..." Fuji pondered. "I'll ask Nee-san if it's okay. Yuuta's coming home today, you see."

The mad glint appeared in the other's eyes. "Ah. Give me a call if you can allow me then."

"Sure."

* * *

A few hours later, Fuji was just waiting for the dataman. He just gave a call that Yumiko agreed. Yuuta didn't care, so it was all in the clear. Later, the doorbell rung and when Fuji opened the door, in came Inui.

"Inui." Fuji nodded.

"Fuji." The reply was the same.

"Ah, Inui-kun!" Greeted Yumiko. Please, do come in. Do you want to have a drink?"

"No thank you, Fuji-san, though I greatly appreciate it. However, may we use the kitchen?"

"The kitchen?" The two Fujis asked in unison. The younger then noticed that Inui was carrying a big, bulky green bag. If not for his tennis training, he might have not been able to survive the walk (if he did) towards Fuji's house.

"Yes. The kitchen." Inui smirked.

* * *

"...Wow." Fuji mumbled.

"Wow indeed." Inui said, as they were facing an array of normal kitchen supplies, and... numerous disgusting objects, from dead spiders, to wasabi, to dried roots of some unknown plants. "I just finished an Inui Juice recipie yesterday. And I wanted you to try it fresh. However, I may need help in creating this to get the bst taste possible though, since I never got the time to make this yet. But if we are sucessful, you will see this on the courts in due time."

A smile appeared in the genius' face. "That would be interesting indeed. I am honored to be the first receiver of your newest juice."

And with that state, the Inui Juice making began. Fuji was deeply interested in the unknown methods Inui used to extract the healthy substances from his ingredients, and was rather ensusthiastic in making one of his favorite drinks. A disgusting aroma that stank of rotten eggs soon started to leak out of the kitchen, and poor Yuuta cannot go inside to have a slice of apple pie (It might not been able to survive the envirnonment anyway). Yumiko, who was more like the middle sibling than the Left-handed killer, was actually not annoyed at the smell. Instead, she was even planning to have a taste of the new Inui Juice.

And in approximately 67 minutes, it was finished. The two sadists, smeared in unknown susbstances, was now looking at the result of their hard work – a bubbling, dark orange concocction. The two looked at each other.

"After you, Fuji."

"Well then... Cheers." He got a glass of it, then gulped it down. After a few minutes, he paused to feel the taste.

"How is it?" Inui asked. _I am sure, with the ingredients we used, Fuji would surely like this._

"It tastes delicious. I love it." The genius replied, smiling.

Inui looked the same. "Then that is good. I am happy you like it. I shall add it to the list of punishments starting next week."

Fuji then smirked. "Shall we try it on Tezuka?"

Another glint appeared in Inui's eyes, both representing sadism and longing. "That shall be good data indeed."

"We should try it on anyone."

"Aniki..." The two saw Yuuta open the door. "What were you doing?! The living room smelled horrible for the last hour or so!"

"Yuuta! Glad to see you here!" Syuusuke happily grinned. "Want to try this?" He then held up the pitcher containing the latest Inui Juice, and the younger one backed up in fear.

"NO WAY!"

"Syuusuke! Are you finished?" Yumiko then entered the room, and then noticed the Inui Juice. "Is that what you made? Could I try it?"

"Sure." Syuusuke then started to pour the Juice into another glass, its low viscosity shown. At the meantime, Yuuta made a desperate attempt to stop Yumiko from drinking it.

"Nee-san! Don't drink it! It looks so... Horrible!"

"Now, now, Yuuta. You shouldn't judge food on their appearances."

"Here it is, nee-san." The middle sibling then gave Yumiko the glass.

"Bottoms up." She then took a gulp.

Silence.

"It tastes delicious!" Yumiko said, in a Syuusuke-ish way.

"Eh?!" Yuuta replied.

"Yeah, you should try it!"

Gulp, gulp. Pause.

"...It...is." Yuuta blinked. "A bit."

Meanwhile Inui was scribbling madly at his notebook. "...Fuji would tell me if it tastes normal, and he won't love it if it tastes weird for other people... Then that means weird taste really runs in the Fuji family... _ii data..._" He made sure when he took just a drop of it. It tasted disgusting.

"Inui?"

"Ah, Fuji." Inui then hid his hand out of instinct. "I'll think of a name tommorow."

"That's good then."

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave. Something came up."

"Are you sure, Inui-san?" Yumiko asked. "We would love to have you for dinner."

"I'm really sorry, but something came up." Inui adjusted his glasses as he packed the remaining materials. "I'll leave the rest of the contents for your delight. Have a nice day."

Soon, he was using the same greeting before he left. When he turned into a corner, he sighed. "My data was wrong. My data calculated that Fuji would _like_it, not _love_it. I still have a long way to go..."

* * *

In the meantime, Fuji Syuusuke was doing his homework happily as their mother was cooking dinner downstairs. He was also sipping from his glass of the new Inui Juice from time to time.

"Aniki?" The older brother turned around to see Yuuta peeking in, looking disturbed.

"What is it, Yuuta?"

"...You seemed more... happy since Inui-san left."

"Fun, isn't it? Defying data, that is..."

* * *

**Disclaimer:**_Tennis no Oujisama _is created by _Takeshi Konomi_.

**Sorry for the lack of updates! Something came up, so I have to finish two more chapters today! XD Oh, and thanks for the people who pointed out my disclaimer mistake, I was sleepy when I was writing that part. The disclaimer at the last chapter was for Tennis no Oujisama, not Tantei Gakuen Q. Besides, Takeshi Konomi didn't create that series. Also, there would probably be spelling errors, since my spell checker isn't working at the moment. **

**And thanks for the tons of reviews :D**

**(On a random note, I noticed the number of words in the chapter title decreases as the story goes on... XD)**


	5. Volleyball

**Chapter 5: Volleyball**

February 23

Rivals have more similarities than most people would think. Aside that they are in an equal level in the area they try to defeat each other with, most of them tend to do the same choices their rivals would have done. This is the same on the case of Kaidou Kaoru, who was packing his bags. Today, Inui called them that there would be a recreation for the regulars, and told them to meet at a nearby beach. The viper suspected that his sempai did it for him, so he had an opportunity. It was his turn to surprise Fuji today, and being one of those most distant to him wasn't helping at all.

After an non-eventful ride, he reached the destination. Everyone was already there, except for the usual Momo and Echizen. All of them were already wearing different colored shorts with comfortable sleeveless tops. Tezuka-buchou and Oishi-fukubuchou seemed to be on the lookout for the remaining two, Inui was scribbling as he observed Eiji playing in the water with a hesitant Taka-san, and Fuji was taking pictures of some of the shells in the beach. Noticing that everyone was barefoot (except for Oishi and Tezuka, who were wearing sandals), Kaidou also decided to take his off. As for spending his time, he decided to train by running by the shore. After a while, Echizen and Momo appeared, panting.

"Sorry, buchou! Apparently Echizen woke up late today!"

"Mada mada dane, Momo-sempai!" Echizen snapped back. "You were busy looking at that big billboard at one time!"

"I wasn't looking at that!"

"Oh yes, you do! We missed the bus because you were muttering how delicious the food looked!"

Oishi sighed. If there was a count that could rival the number of fights Momo and Kaidou did, it was the number of fights Momo and _Echizen_did.

"Momo, Echizen! 30 laps." The two stopped dead at the captain's ominous order.

"But -" They complained in unison.

"40 laps."

* * *

After a few minutes, Momo and Echizen returned to the group, exhausted (the area Tezuka instructed them to run around was a lot bigger than the tennis courts). After they collapsed into the sand, Inui finally spoke up.

"Today's recreation will be volleyball. We will be following the same rules as last time, but since Rokkaku is not here to play with us, it shall be a shorter tournament. We will choose pairs and positions by lots, and then there shall be the usual tournament. The winners shall get free usage at the new tennis courts for a month, as well as 1 coupon for each of them that allows you to buy anything in the sports shops in Tokyo with a discount up to 50. The coupon will be valid for a week."

An excited murmur (drowned by the excited yelps of Momo and Eiji) ran throughout the crowd. Being tennis players, the prize _is_surely a treat for any of them.

"However, there _is_a penalty if anyone lost." The mad gleam returned to the dataman's eyes, sending chills to everyone except Fuji. They all knew what he meant...

Inui then pulled out a pitcher full with an orange... fluid. "This is my newest creation: Cedrus. Every team who loses shall drink this."

A bubble popped out of the fluid, and almost everyone backed away in fear. The only one who didn't was Fuji, still smiling. "Is that the one we made yesterday, Inui?"

"Yes indeed."

"Ah, then maybe I should lose..."

The rest prayed that they won't end up in his team.

"Inui-sempai..." Echizen spoke up. "We're 9, meaning one of us cannot play."

"I already fixed that." The dataman replied, realigning his glasses. "Echizen, you're going to be our referee."

"...What?"

"Apparently, you have no hope of improving your volleyball skills. You may seat in your respective place now."

The freshman sulked and did what he was told.

And then the lots were drawn, displaying the most peculiar pairs that could be possibly made in Seigaku. Eiji was paired with Tezuka, who were the first to go against the Oishi-Momo pair. At the other side, Taka-san and Inui were preparing to go against Fuji and Kaidou.

Kaidou believed this was the worst day of his life.

"One set match, Fuji-Kaidou vs. Kawamura-Inui. Inui to serve." Echizen announced half-heartedly, and the action began. In minutes, Kawamura and Inui were leading 24 to 0. Kaidou was starting to be traumatized.

"Fuji-sempai! If we lose, we have to drink that new juice!"

"Saa... But last time I checked, it tasted great."

Kaidou sighed. It was Fuji's turn to serve, and he had a feeling it shall only be seconds until his doom.

Fuji did a weak serve, and Inui returned it at the corner of the area. Kaidou barely managed to make it pass over the net, and Kawamura was apparently about to spike it.

_I'm doomed..._

"Maybe just for this day, I'll be nice to my kouhai." Fuji said, as he faced the ball. He then did Higuma Otoshi, a move neither of their opponents could return.

After that, it was slaughter.

* * *

Soon, the day was about to end, and the finals were still on tack. Tezuka and Eiji proved to be a fearsome pair, and Fuji and Kaidou were struggling 24-24. One more point shall decide the winner. The others, aside from Echizen (who wasn't complaining anymore – he was considering himself lucky), were sprawled across the sand, having faced the terrors of Cedrus.

Eiji served the ball, and a tiring fight began. Tezuka kept using the Tezuka Zone whenever he hits it, and only Fuji could counter it, who was now playing with his eyes closed. Eiji kept making copies of himself, and Kaidou can't find an opening to launch a Short Snake.

However, Fuji and Inui won thanks to one of the Eijis, accidentally bumping Tezuka and therefore making him miss the ball (the other Eiji was too late to catch it) Both of them received the Inui Juice from Echizen and immediately fainted.

Kaidou, at the meantime, was examining a sprained leg. The injury happened at the last point, but it was already swollen.

"Let me check that." Fuji said, kneeling on the viper. He then ran to get some ice from the cooler, and then started to wrap on his kouhai's leg.

"Th-Thank you..." Kaidou mumbled.

"It's fine." The genius replied, not looking away from his work. "I bet you prefer Inui to do this anyway."

A blush. "I-I don't!!"

"Just kidding."

The two were then silent, ignoring the collapsed bodies around them or the poor freshman, trying to call their coach for help. After that, Fuji then spoke up again.

"You did well today. The prize was worth winning."

The viper blushed again embarrassed. "Thank you, sempai."

* * *

**Disclaimer:**_Tennis no Oujisama _was created by _Takeshi Konomi._

**No, Kaidou's not being OOC. According to my data, he blushes or feels embarrassed on personal afairs, or when one praises him.**_  
_


	6. Wasabi

**Chapter 6: Wasabi**

February 24

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

Surprisingly, despite being his doubles partner and therefore close to him, Taka-san had a hard time on what to give to Fuji. He was sure about giving him wasabi sushi, but for him it seemed too simple to be worthy of the genius. Fortunately, his father came to the rescue and gave him a good idea for him. The only problem is how he would tell it to Fuji.

And that is why he was perspiring as the tone beeped on..

After a while, someone answered. "Hello?"

Taka-san's heart skipped a beat. It was Fuji.

"A-Ah, Fuji. This is Taka-san."

A chuckle. "Taka-san! How your day?"

"Very well. Anou... Fuji, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"My dad asked me to take his place on instructing new chefs on how to make good sushe. I'm practicing at the moment, and I want to see if I am already ready... Could you come here and check my progress?"

"Of course. Anything for Taka-san."

Taka-san beamed. "Thanks, Fuji! I'll get ready now. See you."

"Yes. See you later."

When Taka-san hang up, he immediately thanked his dad and went to work. He already had an idea what to prepare...

* * *

When Fuji entered the shop, it was empty (probably because the sign said 'closed' at that time) except for Taka-san, now in his "sushi-making" clothes, as Eiji would call it. The power player looked to the genius as he entered. "Fuji! You're here! Please, have a seat." He then directed the genius to a comfortable chair, and this is where Fuji observed his surroundings. 

Apparently, Taka-san was not going to prepare sushi in his usual position. Instead, there was a wide wooden table in front of him, containing materials and ingredients. A single glance, and he already knew what was Taka-san going to prepare – wasabi sushi.

"So..." Taka-san coughed. "May I begin?"

"Anytime when you are ready."

The fact that Fuji was acting like a judge made Taka-san more uncomfortable. "S-So... T-Today we are going to m-make - "

"Sound more confident, Taka-san. Your students won't be convinced if their teacher would stutter like that, right?"

Taka-san blushed. "S-Sorry... I'm just not sure if I could do t-this..."

"Of course you can." Fuji said, reaching to his bag. "It's okay. You'll do fine..." He then extracted his tennis racket from it, and then handed it to Taka-san. "Here, for more confidence."

"Thanks, Fuji..." Taka-san mumbled as he held it. Immediately, he went into burning mode. "BUUUURNING!! FUJIKO, THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE WASABI SUSHI!!! COME ON, BABY!!"

And the lecture went on with Taka-san explaining everything in burning mode. He was so enthusiastic he looked like he was actually going to_burn_ the dish itself. Later on, he was still in burning mode even though he wasn't holding the racket anymore.

"MOERUZZEEE!!!" He yelled when he did the last step: cutting the log of wasabi sushi into smaller pieces. It was both fast and precise. The cut is clean too. In a flourish, a dish of it is laid in front of Fuji. "SERVED!"

"Hmm..." Fuji mused, looking at what may be the most beautiful wasabi sushi he evver saw. "Might as well try it. _Itedakimasu..."_He then got one, dipped it into _kikuman_, them took a bit out of it. "...This is your best wasabi sushi yet, Taka-san."

At this statement., burning mode went out. "R-Really? Thanks a lot, but I still have a lot more to go."

"This is already good, Taka-san. Say, won't it be a bonus if you supervise them?"

"A-Ah, yes! Please go here, Fuji..."

And then Taka-san taught the genius again. It was actually surprising that the genius is actually below average in making the Japanese cusine ("Th-That's too much wasabi, Fuji!"). However, he proved himself a pro in proportioning the sushi cuts. Later on, Taka-san took a taste. Unlike most of the regulars, Taka-san was used to wasabi sushi, probably because his father trained him to recognize the taste of each sushi and maki.

"Not bad for your first try, Fuji. It still has too much wasabi though."

The genius chuckled. "_Mada mada dane, _is it?"

"N-Not really!"

* * *

The day went on, both of them trying to make other kinds of sushi. They actually made so much they decided to open the store so people could eat their work. They finished at night, when Taka-san's father returned from a tour in the new marketplace. Also, Taka-san was already confident enough even without burning mode, and Fuji could already make sushi that can be considered delicious by other people.

"Oh, Fuji-san! Thanks for helping my son."

"Not at all, Kawamura-san. In fact, I have to thank Taka-san. He taught me a lot of things today."

"W-Well, that is the only way I could repay you for helping me in the courts..."

"Anytime, Taka-san. Ah, it's about to be dinner time already. Once again, thank you, Taka-san, Kawamura-san."

After bowing, the genius left the father and son, as well as the numerous customers waiting for their service.

* * *

**Disclaimer:**_Tennis no Oujisama_ is created by _Takeshi Konomi_. 

**Sorry for the backlog! I had too many things to do, including an upcoming long test. Also, thanks for pointing out my mistakes! I'll correct them after I finish the fic.**


	7. Photo Album

**Chapter 7: **Photo Album

February 26

No one among the Seigaku regulars can rival the anxiousness now felt by it's vice captain. Being the worrywart of the nine of them, Oishi Syuuichirou was obviously the one most nervous about giving Fuji something. When he thought of an idea, he quickly shoves it away in fear that Fuji might not like it, or that it is too simple for such a special occasion. He even asked help from his doubles partner, but Eiji proved to be of no help.

He realized this when he talked to him in the canteen. He drew the acrobat away to the restroom, and away from Fuji and Echizen.

"...What was that about?" The freshman asked irritably. He won't be at the location if he wasn't dragged by the Dream Pair.

"Saa. Maybe they have to do something private in the restroom. But... Is a public area alright for such things?"

Echizen blushed. "Fuji-sempai!"

Fuji chuckled, ruffling the freshman's hair. "Ara, are you thinking about something not applicable to your age, Echizen-otouto?"

Now the freshman's day became worse. "Baka Oyaji..." He mumbled.

* * *

As Fuji continued teasing his "younger brother", let's go to the bathroom, where the Golden Pair is not doing such a thing whatever you people thought of, but are just talking in private... in the cubicle.

"Oishi! What are we doing here nya?"

"Eiji, I need your help! It's already midday and I still didn't have an idea what to do!"

"Hoi?"

"Today's my day!"

"Ah!" Eiji realized. "So that's why!"

"Yes! Now please, could you help me?" To the vice captain's surprise, Eiji just wagged his finger.

"No, no, Oishi! You shouldn't cheat on your report in English!"

Oishi sighed. _This is pointless._

* * *

At the end, he was stil very, _very_worried. It was just class dismisal, and Oishi still threw all of his ideas away. In the end, he decided to ask help again, but not to Eiji, but to his English teacher.

Shizuko-sensei looked stern, but she was a kind woman. She was the best person to ask advice about, proven by Inui's data itself. Praying that Inui's data doesn't lie, Oishi nervously went to Shizuko-sensei.

"Ah, sensei..." He started.

"Oishi-kun! How nice to see you!" Shizuko-sensei beamed, which gave the vice president more confidence.

"Nice to meet you too, sensei. Um... I have a problem..."

"Fire away."

"Well, I have a friend whose birthday is at February 29, and it only happens once every four years, right?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"Well, 8 of us decided to give hiim a really special gift. We decided that starting 8 days before February 29, each of us would give something to him. It's my turn today, and I have no idea what do to..."

"Hm..." The teacher pondered. "You would individualy give something to him?"

"Yes, sensei."

"What are his interests."

"Well... He likes spicy food, and cacti... and he also likes photography..."_And watching people suffer._

"There you go: photography. Why don't you give him a photo album?"

Oishi's heart sank. It was too simple. "A photo album?"

"Yes, probably containing your memories with him, or his memories in Seigaku. It's not the material thing itself that counts, but the memories that go with it."

Oishi looked like he could kiss her. "Thanks a lot, Shizuko-sensei! It sounds perfect for him!"

"He'll take anything from you, I'm sure. As long as you put your heart into it. Remember, it's the thought that counts."

"Of course! Thanks again, sensei!"

"Anytime, Oishi-kun."

After that, Oishi ran. Only Inui has all of those pictures, and he is running out of time...

* * *

"Fuji?"

The genius looked back at the perspiring vice captain. Tennis practice just ended with a doubles match with the Golden Pair against Inui and Kaidou. The former won 7-6, but the latter proved to be a real challenge.

"Yes, Oishi?"

"Um... Do you have a minute?"

Fuji chuckled. "Need help concerning the tennis club?"

Oishi blushed. "N-No! But can I borrow you to the lockers?"

"Sure. I think I won't miss the bus at this time."

The two then walked, as Fuji the good scenery. The setting sun was an alluring sight and the trees swaying with the gentle breeze gave it a cslming tone. _Oh, if I only had my camera..._ Fuji thought.

When they reached the lockers, Oishi instructed Fuji to close his eyes. The genius heard a lot of ruckus before the vice captain instructed him to open his eyes again. When he did, he saw himself facing a leather book with the words "Photo Album" written elegantly in gold.

"A photo album? Thanks, Oishi." Fuji smiled as Oishi gave it to him. However, his reaction turned into suprise as he saw the first pictureit – the image of Fuji and Tezuka, when they were in the 1st year, proudly wearing their regular jerseys for the first time.

When he turned a page, it had more images of him, some accompanied with someone else. The first images was when they were in their first year. After a few pages was at their 2nd year. Eiji, Oishi and Inui were now also wearing the jerseys, and the images now included Momo and Kaidou, sometimes presenting them as bickering over some simple incident.

Finally, it included all of the current regulars, sometimes joined by familiar figures. There was that image where everyone was in bliss (even Tezuka), Echizen holding the Nationals trophy up high, but that wasn't the most touching of them all. It was that memorable image of all of them in the mountains. It was their first group picture... and Fuji was the one who captured it.

"Oishi..." He muttered, daintily touching the last picture. He then put on his mask and turned to Oishi. "Thanks a lot, Seigaku no mama."

"Fuji!!" He replied, blushing.

The genius chuckled. "Just kidding. But I really appreciate this. I thank you for it."

Oishi smiled. _There was no need to worry after all. It's always the thought that counts. _

* * *

**Disclaimer:**_Tennis no Oujisama was created by Takeshi Konomi._

**...Inui is really desperate for Fuji's data, isn't he? **


	8. My Best Friend

**Chapter 8: My Best Friend**

February 26

Niou Masaharu was surprised when he got a phone call. Not that he doesn't receive them, but it was already late at night. It was lucky that the rest of his family were already fast asleep, or he'll get in trouble for spending the night practicing his dart aim. As he walked down, he considered the opinions.

He was sure that Yukimura-buchou and seaweed head were already asleep, and calling so late was against Yagyuu's laws of etiquette. Sanada and Jackal never called him, he just talked to Marui a few hours ago, a conversation that ended with the redhead's mother scolding him to sleep already. Most likely, it would be Yanagi asking him for a piece of data... Again.

However, he didn't consider someone from another school to contact him.

"Puri Niou Masaharu here" The trickster drawled.

"Niou-kun?"

He was surprised at the voice. "Kikumaru Eiji, huh? I told you, I won't apologize for that injury Yagyuu - "

"I'm not here for that! I need your service!" Eiji whispered as loud as he could from the other line.

Niou raised an eyebrow. "Service? Elaborate, my dear friend."

"Could you formulate a plan so that the entirety of Seigaku would be suspended tommorow?"

The trickster was surprised. He never expected him to actually have him do a prank. "Are you sure? That seems pretty big..."

"You can't do it?"

That hurt Niou's pride. "No trick is larger than the _petenshi._ However, I don't do it for free."

"How much, then?"

He smirked. "A thousand yen."

"A THOUSAND?!"

"Did I said that? I meant 5 thousand yen."

"UNYAAA!" Eiji then noticed he was in full volume then toned it down to his original tone. "5 thousand?! That's too high!"

"You're asking me to attack a whole school here, Kikumaru-kun. It's even cheaper compared to the past tricks I did."

"Fine! I'll give it to you next week!"

"Deal. Check your television tommorow, Kikumaru-kun. I have to start planning now. Piyo" And then Niou hanged up, not even feeling tired at all. It didn't matter that he was doing it from a rival school, as long as he could make a trick or two.

At the other line, Eiji was thrilled. He was still a bit worried on what he just asked the Rikkaidai regular on what to do (especially the impact it shall give to Oishi), but he needed the whole day off so he could commence his plan for Fuji. And when it comes to his best friend, desperate needs call for desperate measures.

* * *

February 27

"And here we bring you a flash report from Tokyo. Seishun Gakuen, a private middle school most known for its recent National win in the male tennis division, was suddenly attacked by a combination of slugs, toads and crickets. No suspect was declared, though the reason of this disaster is still unknown. The principal declared suspension for today in the school, the time used to clear up the creatures that sprung up.

'We are lucky that there weren't too many slugs, toads and crickets inside the premises.' Seigaku's principal's image was shown giving this speech. 'We hope to clear up this mess by tommorow, so classes could resume.'

And now, for our showbiz news - "

Fuji sighed as he turned off the television with the remote. He initially heard the news from Yumiko, who in turn heard it from the radio. As their mother made breakfast, the genius opened the television to check if it was true. He knew that it wasn't by natural cause (if it was, Inui would tell it to the authorities straight away), so it was indeed a prank. But by whom? His train of thought was interrupted by a phone call. Fuji was about to stand up, but Yumiko beat him to it.

"Hello? Ah, how nice to hear from you! What? Ah, he's here. We fortunately saw the news before leaving. You want to talk to him?" She then turned to her younger brother. "Syuusuke, it's from you dear friend Kikumaru Eiji."

Fuji hastily stood up. _He's probably curious about the flash report_, he thought as he got the phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Fujiko!"

"Eiji. I suppose you heard the news?"

"Yeah! I was so surprised. It never happened before, right?"

"As long I know. You should ask Inui about these things."

"Maybe I should. Say, Fuji, since we have the day free, do you want to do something?"

Fuji raised an eyebrow. He expected the acrobat to conjure up weird ideas on the phone, not suddenly jump up into another topic. An idea suddenly conjured in him. _Could it be..._ However, he put his mask on at this moment (or rather, his voice) and continued talking. "Sure. Where do you want to meet?"

"Is the nearby park at 9 alright?"

"Good enough. See you there." He then hung up, just in time.

"Syuusuke! Breakfast's coming!"

"Coming!" Fuji called back. "I just need a quick call!" He then dialed a number.

"Hello?"

Fuji smiled. "Saw the news?"

"About the one in Seigaku? Yeah. If you want to talk about it, call me later. I have to go to school."

"Nah, there's no need. I just want to tell you something." Fuji replied, now grinning. "Someone's rivaling you for the 'Best Birthday Plan' award, Saeki."

* * *

When Fuji was already there, Eiji has still yet to be seen. He had his camera in ready in case. _I doubt that Eiji would be able to pull off such a trick,_ he pondered, _maybe he had someone do it for him. Inui perhaps? Or maybe, it was from another school... Niou-kun could have done it too..._ He spent his time pondering about Eiji's crime when the said acrobat walked – or rather, skipped – towards him. He surely didn't look like a suspect at all.

"Sorry, Fujiko! I was late for the bus!" Eiji exclaimed.

"It's alright, Eiji." Fuji said. "Saa, where should we go?"

"It's your choice!"

Fuji blinked. "Eh?"

"We could go anywhere in Tokyo! We could even dine in a restaurant! It's all my treat!"

"Are you sure? Momo and Echizen seemed to be abusing your wallet yesterday..." But the acrobat shook his head, still looking happy.

"It's alright! So, where should we go?"

"Hmm..." Fuji pondered. "Maybe... we should tour the entirety of Tokyo, tourist style?"

"That's a great idea! Where should we start?"

"Let's visit some of the districts, starting with... Akihabara?"

"Nice idea!"

And so the "tour" began. After getting a one-day train ticket to the entirety of Tokyo, they went straight ahead at that area. Fuji didn't touch his camera since it wasn't allowed inside, but they still had a lot of fun. They first went to Akihabara Cross Field, where they entertained themselves with information about animation in the 4th floor. They then went to the Laox Stores, where Eiji bought himself a new game for his console and Fuji bought some camera film. They then took lunch at a nearby maid cafe, where they won a free snack after beating their "maid" in a game.

After Akihabara, they went straight to Harajuku. There, Fuji immersed himself at capturing images of those wearing lolita outfits and other kinds of fashion. They then went to Takeshita-dori, where they gazed more at the latest fashion in Tokyo. They also visited a 100-yen shop to look for anything cheap that may be of use to them, but they unfortunately found nothing. Before leaving the district, they went to Meiji Jingu, just in time to witness a traditional Japanese wedding in progress.

However, they did not stay long for they then went to Ueno in the late afternoon. It was already late afternoon, but it was perfect in Fuji's eyes. There, he used most of his film capturing the district's wonderous scenes of nature. He also captured images of the Pagoda Kan'eiji Temple and the Shinobazu Pond. Finally, he got Eiji to model for him by the sakura trees, even it wasn't in season yet. The acrobat liven up each frame of him, contrasting the calm aura given by the trees. However, it was a unique and wondrous effect, so Fuji kept most of the pictures (the other ones were too blurry, especially when Eiji actually tried to make a double of himself while being captured).

Finally, at night, they went to their last destination: Minatoku. Fuji took the chance to capture the night life as lights brightened up the sky. He also took pictures of the infamous Tokyo Tower, some of them actually including him with Eiji. Already hungry for dinner, they didn't do much sightseeing here – after Fuji finished all of his film, they went immediately to Diago. The genius was surprised due to the restaurant's high price, but Eiji insisted. "I had been earning the money for this experience for weeks!" He exclaimed. And it was well worth it. It was their first time eating there, and the experience of eating such high standard shōjin-ryori, the most refined of the kaiseki cusine, was unforgettable.

When they took the train home, both were already tired. However, both of them can't go to sleep – they spent their time talking about their sight-seeing.

"That was a wonderful day, Eiji." Fuji began. "It was a nice memory, visiting some of Japan's districts with your best friend." That was true – he already planned to have one of the Tokyo Tower pictures be applied in the remaining pages of the photo album Oishi gave him yesterday.

"I had fun too!" Eiji replied, the tone of happiness still lingering in him. "So, Fuji, did you have your birthday wish granted?"

"Hm?"

"Did you have a nice week nya?"

"Well..." Fuji mused. "It was actually unexpected for the rest of Seigaku to do something special for me since 7 days ago, but I never felt such bliss in my whole life."

"So, your birthday wish is granted?"

"Hmmm... I actually liked everything you people did for me, but honestly... My birthday wish is still not granted."

This made Eiji a bit sad, much to Fuji's regret. "Do you want it granted now? We still have time..."

Fuji shook his head, reassuring him. "Don't worry, you already did more than enough. However, that wish could only be granted by fate... We'll see if I get it tommorow."

Eiji was a bit confused, but something Fuji said before made all of it clear. Now he's back to his happy mode, changing the topic about the maid cafe in Akihabara. _Well, I leave this to you, Tezuka-buchou._

* * *

**Disclaimer:**_Tennis no Oujisama _was created by _Takeshi Konomi._ All districts mentioned are real.

**Longest chapter yet. Well, I guess I had fun making Eiji's. However, let us all pity his wallet, who got abused dearly by the mixture of the expenses in their tour, and the fee of Niou Masaharu. XD**

**Also, I like to thank the people who reviewed me. I got so many in a day! I'm sorry I lack time to answer them, since this fanfic has a deadline, but I'll answer them after I completed this fanfic. Now, I shall leave you in suspense on what's Tezuka going to do...**


	9. A State of Euphoria

**Chapter 9: A Sense of Euphoria**

February 28

The room was silent, Ryuuzaki-sensei flipping over today's training menu. Tezuka sent it to her earlier this morning, and at her first scan, Ryuuzaki-sensei complimented that he was still giving them a hard training menu, even though the Nationals were already over. However, she skipped over a fact she just noticed on her second reading.

She was startled when she heard a creak, but her reaction softened when she saw the tennis captain.

"You called for me?" was the stoic reply.

"Tezuka-kun. Yes, please come in and have a seat." When he settled down, Ryuuzaki-sensei started the topic:

"Are you sure about today's training?"

"I intend to complete my promises, Ryuuzaki-sensei." He answered.

"But your arm - "

"Will be fine." Ryuuzaki-sensei was surprised. This was the first time Tezuka interrupted her, and with such determination! "I assure you that it will not be a burden."

She sighed. Whenever Tezuka was using his firm, stubborn voice, there was nothing she could do. "If that's what you want..."

"Thank you, sensei. Is there anything else you need?"

"No, that is all. You may leave."

With a swift bow, Tezuka walked out, leaving the room to its previous state.

* * *

Eiji leaped out in joy as he heard the dismissal bell. Apparently, his excitement from yesterday still lingered, causing him to be so hyper the teacher already gave up on scolding him about it since the past hour. Fuji has no choice but to try to lower his sugar level, but failed when Eiji suddenly grabbed him and practically dragged him to the tennis courts... in full speed. And when you mean Eiji in full speed, it meant something resembling Flash. 

"E-Eiji!" Fuji finally managed to call out, and that is when they already reached the courts. Eiji finally slowed down before halting to a full stop.

"Gomen nya! But I'm just too excited today!"

"A-Ah, it's okay..." Fuji replied, still a bit dizzy.

"I wonder what Tezuka would do..." Eiji mumbled, as he waited for his best friend to recover his senses. Indeed, it was hard to imagine te captain do something to make one happy. He was a real enigma, just like Fuji...

"_Saa..."_ Came the reply, much to Eiji's surprise.

"S-Saa?! About what?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Kikumaru! Fuji!" The two regulars then heard the voice of the dataman calling them, causing the two to turn around and see him, already in his regular jersey. "There was a 75 chance that you two would be here in approximately a minute."

Eiji could only smile sheepishly. "As usual of you, Inui..."

"What did you say, MAMUSHI!?!"

"Fshuuu!"

The three sighed. It has been a long time since they heard the two quarrel, they almost forgot the high atmosphere it brought. Momo and Kaidou were obviously walking towards them, but they were too concentrated on their fight to notice. They only snapped back to reality when Inui coughed.

"S-Sempai-tachi!"

"I see you two are heating up already. Do you want to cool it up with Ao - "

"NO, THANK YOU!!" The two replied in unison before glaring at each other again. They were about to start another fight when they were interrupted by Oishi, who just popped out behind them.

"Stop it, you two! What if you distracted someone from the chemistry unit, resulting in her/him spilling some flammable liquid that may set the entirety of Seigaku on fire? What if the principal heard you then scolded the two of you with a cutter, then accidentally cutting one of your necks? What if - "

"Oishi, there's only a 0.001 percent chance any of your ideas would happen." Inui interrupted his dramatic speech before the sweatdrops on the others' heads get bigger.

"But there is still a chance!" Oishi stubbornly replied.

While the dataman tried to nail some sense into the vice captain, Echizen's figure came into view. He was sleepy, yawning from time to time. However, Eiji did not take this into account.

"OCHIBIII!!" He yelled, and before the freshman could react, glomped him.

"K-Ki...maru...pai...!" Echizen struggled. Fuji was supposed to help him escape the acrobat's clutches, but Taka-san suddenly appeared from the scene. _Ah well, _he thought, _he could survive._

After a few minutes, Tezuka and Ryuuzaki-sensei appeared, and club activities began. First, it was the usual laps and warm ups, a daily routine for them. After that, they just waited for Tezuka's next instruction.

"2nd and 3rd years, to courts A and B. Freshmen will pick up the balls. Regulars will have singles matches against each other in courts C and D."

This caused a stir among the club. The non-regulars cursed their luck, not being able to watch the regular matches. The remaining 9 became anxious on who will have a match against. Ryuuzaki-sensei then decided to end the suspense.

"Court C, Echizen, Kawamura. Court D, Tezuka, Fuji."

The mumbling became louder, and Fuji opened his eyes. _A match?! Against Tezuka?!_ His vision went immediately to the captain, who didn't look different at all. _...I thought you were avoiding this match..._

His expression remained the same (the freshmen inched away, his eyes were looking too creepy at the moment) when they decided who would serve (it was Fuji). Before Tezuka could even move, Fuji decided to talk.

"Why did you want a match against me?"

Tezuka's expression did not change. "You were the one who wanted this."

Fuji's words suddenly came back to him.

_After this tournament is over...Tezuka, will you have a match with me?_

Fuji, now smiling brightly as ever, went to the service line to launch up a Disappearing Serve.

* * *

A lot of people already saw some of the most amazing tennis matches on earth. They saw someone make a double of himself, have power strong enough to even damage the fence surrounding the courts, and accuracy so deadly it makes the ball bounce on the exact, same place everytime. However, no one was prepared on the most amazing tennis match they ever saw – and it was only a practice match. 

It was only an hour into the game, 2-2, advantage on the server (Tezuka). Everyone abandoned what they were doing (including the Echizen-Kawamura match on Court C) and went to look at every second of the match. Even Ryuuzaki-sensei was shocked, not even bothering to scold those who abandoned practice. Passerbys even stopped to look.

The genius has his eyes open, still smiling. He did not care that there was a crowd forming, or that hundreds of pairs of eyes were looking at him. He was intoxicated, in a state of euphoria. He never thought that a match against Tezuka, with both of them at their best, could be this exciting. Fuji, who rarely has motivation to achieve victory, now wanted to win this match, or at least, have this feeling last forever.

Fuji had felt that tennis was truly fun, and he was sure that Tezuka felt the same as well.

Tezuka then returned the genius' ball easily with the Tezuka Zone, but Fuji cancelled it with the Kagerou Zutsumi. In the end, Fuji got the point, where they went back to deuce for the millionth time.

"Saa,_yudan sezu ni ikou."_ Tezuka said, preparing to serve the ball. The genius only replied with a smile. _It's still to early for you to beat me this easy. _That seemed to be the message in his eyes, and the captain seemed to read it.

All of a sudden, a drop came down from the sky. Gradually, before even anyone could react, it turned into a heavy rain. A lot of complains were heard ("Why does the rain come everytime there's a good match?!" Echizen complained), and Ryuuzaki-sensei immediately had everyone go inside. "And no," she said, turning to the two. "I won't have to two of you sick in the rain."

"But sensei - " Fuji said.

"Fuji." The genius looked at Tezuka, whose eyes were filled with strict authority. Fuji sighed; there was no use to complain if even your opponent decides to retire.

The two then went to the lockers, which was actually crammed with the club members. Some went out again, now with their umbrellas, while others took their time in changing their clothes. Fuji and Tezuka, being the last to arrive, dried themselves with their towels.

Somehow, the two decided to stay in the lockers until everyone was already gone. When it happened, it was already dusk, and the rain was still present. It reminded Fuji of their private conversation after the interruption from his match against Echizen. _Deja vu, indeed._

"Fuji." Hearing his name, he looked to the other person present. Silence engulfed them, before the captain spoke again:

"You truly found your real self."

Fuji smiled. "Yes, I did. You actually granted _two_ of my wishes. I thought you already forgot our conversation after my match against Niou-kun."

"I intend to keep my promises." Tezuka replied, repeating what he said earlier this morning. Then there was another silence.

"Tezuka."

This time, it was the captain's time to turn, when he did, he saw the genius wearing the same bright smile he used on the match, only it showed gratitude. _Thank you._ He said in his eyes, and he knew Tezuka got it.

And he was real sure that Tezuka was smiling for a while, with its own message. _You're welcome. _

* * *

**Disclaimer:**_Tennis no Oujisama_ was created by _Takeshi Konomi._

**I have to admit, this chapter was the only one I planned before writing the fanfic. Fuji's birthday is tommorow, as well as the big celebration! Stay tuned for the last chapter!**


	10. The Best, Final Birthday Present

**Chapter 10: The Best, Final Birthday Present**

February 29

When Fuji's eyes flickered open, it took him a few seconds that he was now 4 or 16 years old, whether you only include the leap years or not. Even though he smiled at what the rest of the regulars did for him, he can't feel special at all today. Maybe all of his excitement was drained away due to the past events. _Or maybe it's because I just woke up, _he thought, smiling.

After that thought, he decided to get ready as soon as possible. If they did prepare something for him again, it would be awkward if he was late. He gave himself a shower before grooming himself. He then proceeded to prepare his school stuff, as well as getting dressed. He watered his cacti before walking down, and when he came at the last step, confetti came from the ceiling.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SYUUSUKE!!" The rest of the Fuji household cried gaily, with the exception of Yuuta (Yumiko talked to Mizuki to let him stay at home for at least today), who said "Aniki" instead. Fuji smiled after the surprise from the loud pop disappeared. "Thank you." he said.

They then had breakfast together, which was rare since his father usually left early. Yumiko and their mother pulled off the best of their dining skills to create a breakfast fit for a king, including some spicy delicacies for only Syuusuke to enjoy. The morning was full of happy conversations, sometimes asking Syuusuke some embarrassing questions.

"Oka-san, may I go out for dinner tonight?" The genius suddenly said. "Something tells me that the Seigaku tennis club will celebrate my birthday later this night."

Their parents looked at each other for a while before agreeing. "Well, this does happen only once in a while." his mother said, in a rather playful tune. "Sure, you may go out for the night. However, be here by midnight. Also, I will prohibit you from drinking alcohol. If you did, I shall know."

"Oka-san!" Syuusuke replied, but rather playfully as well. The rest of the family then laughed.

After the breakfast, Syuusuke excused himself. Yumiko asked if he needed a ride, but the genius refused.

"I might ruin their plan today. I'll just walk."

Yumiko sighed. Until now, she had no idea how could Fuji know what his teammates were thinking.

Yuuta, who seemed to read her mind, answered it for her. "What do you expect, Nee-san? Fuji's a genius."

* * *

Fuji was correct when he chose to walk to school. Because when he turned to a corner, he had been glomped by one Kikumaru Eiji. 

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FUJIKO NYAAA!!"

Fuji, for a few seconds, finally felt what Echizen did. "E...Eiji...!"

"Ah! Gomen, nya!" He said, still cheerfully, before letting go of him.

After catching his breath, Fuji spoke again. "Do you plan to kill your best friend at her birthday?" Of course, this was a joke, but Eiji took it seriously.

"No!! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!!" Eiji bowed again and again.

"There's no need to apologize..."

"Really?"

A chuckle. "Yes."

"YAAAY!!" Eiji cried, about to glomp Fuji again, but stopped himself at the last minute. "...Oh yeah." He said sheepishly, and they went on their way.

Both of them conversed in multiple subjects, ranging from their project to today's lunch at the cafeteria. After a while, they were accompanied by Oishi, who joined them after they turned to another corner.

"Fuji! Happy birthday!"

"Thanks, Oishi." Fuji replied. "You're the 5th person to tell me that today."

"Am I? I must be really late. Eiji, please do not stranggle Fuji, even though it's his birthday today."

"Actually, he already did." Fuji replied.

"Eiji!"

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry! I'm very sorry!" Eiji replied.

"But what if -" Before Oishi could even continue into one of his rather otherworldly worries, Fuji was able to cover the vice president's mouth.

"Nice one, Fuji!"

The genius had to chuckle. "It's already over, Oishi. No need to conjure such thoughts."

After being persuaded, Oishi finally gave up. Soon, it was just an uneventful walk towards Seigaku, and aside from a couple of "Happy Birthdays", the whole school period was also boring as well.

Time seemed to slow by for most of the regulars. They were all excited on the celebration later this evening, as well as Ryuuzaki-sensei's own surprise. She told Fuji to go to the tennis courts a few minutes late. She knew there was no need to hide everything from the genius: the surprise had already been revealed before.

Fuji's agreement also gave him quite a surprise. When he finally went there, he saw the courts as well decorated as it could be. There were walls colored with blue and stars, and different colored confetti were thrown around the moment he entered. A loud "Happy Birthday!" (with a soft 'nya!' at the end) was shouted, and the only thing Fuji could do is to smile at to what extend they would do for such an occasion.

However, the mood went down the moment Tezuka annonced tennis practice. Only court A was decorated because of this. After a shout of "party pooper!!" from the brave ones among the team, therefore earning them a punishment of an extra 40 laps, the mood went to normal as it could be. Even though the captain made sure order was in place, one could feel the excitement from the regulars. At dissmisal, it exploded.

In Eiji's and Momo's cases, at least.

"AT LAAAAST!!" The two scream in unison, making up noise. "Party! Party! Party! Party!" They seemed to be a sponge, draining the non-regulars' excitement to their own.

"Eiji! Momo!" Oishi scolded, being the 'mama' he is. At the meantime, Echizen was mumbling why they were so excited over something like a party. Kaidou joined him, though _he _was hissing about Momo caring only about food. Momo heard this, and before they could even stop it, the two 2nd years started another quarrel. Taka-san's futile efforts did nothing to calm them down.

"Looks like we have to do this..." Inui said, handing him a racket, which he took it.

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds...

"BURNIIIIIIING!! THE TWO OF YOU, CALM DOWN!!! IT'S FUJIKO'S BIRTHDAAAAAY!!!"

That was enough. Momo and Kaidou suddenly turned silent, but were still glaring daggers at each other on the way to Kawamura Sushi.

There, more chaos happened. Kawamura-san, who prepared a lot of sushi, including Fuji's favorite, filled their stomachs, even Momo's. Inui stuck to his promise and didn't pull out a single cup of Inui Juice. However, he seemed to have slipped a genius a drink of it...

After dinner, Eiji brought out a birthday cake.

"Make a wish, Fuji nya!"

"That's too childish, Eiji-sempai..."

"Still!"

Echizen sighed in the sidelines. "This is pointlless..."

"Shut up!"

Echizen remained silent for the rest of the day.

After Fuji blew out the candles, Momo volunteered to slice out the cake while the others got forks. However, when they returned, Momo already ate all of it. All of them scolded the 2nd year, which concluded with Tezuka giving him 15 laps around the shop. Actually, it was 30, since Momo complained about it.

After they all ate the cake, Kawamura-san revealed a karaoke machine. For the rest of the night, they sang their hearts out until the neighbors were already complaining about the noise and that their curfew was near. They all seperated at the entrance of the shop, leaving no one but two people.

"I was surely an exciting 10 days, isn't it... Tezuka?" Fuji asked.

"Yeah."

"Should we walk home together, just like in old times?"

The only reply needed was a nod to get them going.

Neither talked to each other at that time, and neither knew why. They weren't anxious with talking to each other, probably its was only because they prefered silence.

Soon, they reached a forkroad, where the two had to part. "It was a nice birthday plan indeed," Fuji said in a barely audible whisper. "That was probably the only birthday gift I received that was so long, it had to last for 10 days."

Tezuka said nothing, leaving Fuji disappointed. "Well..." the genius started. "I have to go." He was about to walk out of his sight when Tezuka suddenly talked.

"I am to leave for Germany tomorrow."

Fuji froze in his steps. "I know. You really wanted to go pro, don't you?"

"Yes."

Fuji didn't look back. "I'm really going to miss you. _We _are going to miss you."

"I know." There was another silence, where Fuji decided to walk on again, however, he was halted by a grasp on the shoulders, and that was when Tezuka kissed him.

A rainbow of emotions flowed through him as the passionate moments ticked by. Fuji could not describe it – it was just a simple one, merely the meeting of a lips, nothing dramatic. However, he still could not express the feelings that rushed through him.

He suddenly felt a box thrusted into his arms before Tezuka released the kiss. Fuji was silent in shock, still trying to interpret his emotions. Tezuka at the meantime, seemed disappointed. "I knew it. You never returned those - "

He was interrupted by a kiss, but this time Fuji did it. It was more passionate, Tezuka feeling the acceptance of the genius. They kept it a secret to each other, and neither knew, until now, that one loved another.

Fuji then released it after a few minutes, leaving the two of them to gaze at each other's eyes. "I will surely miss that taste."

Tezuka couldn't help but smile. "I would as well. Until I return, make sure Seigaku does not let their guard down. Also, take care of Echizen."

"I will."

After they shared a goodbye between their eyes, Tezuka finally walked away. Fuji, at the meantime, took notice at the box. When he opened it, he saw a rather strange cake.

It was covered thickly in green icing, detailed with red. The shape was strange, as if it was quickly made. Fuji took a taste of the icing._Apple and wasabi,_ he complimented.

Fuji again smiled before walking towards home. That was truly the best birthday present he received.

* * *

**Disclaimer:**_Tennis no Oujisama_ was created by _Takeshi Konomi._

**...Tezuka could bake. O.o**


End file.
